1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to an infrared sensor assembly, and more particularly, to an infrared sensor assembly for measuring temperature in a vehicle which is equipped in a garnish of a vehicle interior material such as A-pillar to be useful for measurement of the temperature in the vehicle without spoiling an aesthetic of an interior of the vehicle and have excellent replacement adaptability for a change in a vehicle model.
2. Description of Related Art
To optimize air conditioning for an interior space of a vehicle, in particular, cooling, first of all, a temperature of an interior space needs to be accurately measured.
For this purpose, a contactless temperature measuring method using an infrared sensor has been most widely used. According to the method, an infrared sensor which is installed in the vehicle measures a temperature around a passenger's face by a contactless manner and as the measured result, the air conditioning for the interior space of the vehicle, in particular, a cooling state may be controlled.
To measure the temperature in the vehicle according to the non-contactless type temperature measuring method, an infrared sensor assembly needs to be installed at a proper place in the vehicle. An example of the infrared sensor assembly is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3.
The infrared sensor assembly as represented by reference numeral 101 in FIGS. 1 to 3 is installed at a front edge portion in the vehicle such as an A-pillar 162, and therefore is configured to include a casing 105, a main PCB 107, an infrared sensor 109, a warpage prevention bracket 111, and a PCB housing 117.
Here, the casing 105 is an outer body forming a front surface of the infrared sensor assembly 101. As illustrated in FIG. 2, since the casing 105 is inclinedly equipped in the garnish of the A-pillar 162, a fixed tip 129 protrudes over a front surface of the casing 105 to be detachably coupled with a front boss 145 which protrudes at an inner side of the garnish by a screw, and the like. Further, an induction pipe 162 extends to a lower end of a front surface of the casing 105 and thus is inserted with the infrared sensor 109 which protrudes forward, while being vertically bound with the main PCB 107.
Further, the main PCB 107 is an element in which the infrared sensor 109 and other control circuits or elements are mounted and as illustrated in FIG. 3, is inserted into a PCB housing 117 which is inserted into an opened side of a rear end of the casing 105.
Further, the infrared sensor 109 is a core member of the infrared sensor assembly 101 for measuring a temperature in a vehicle and as illustrated in FIG. 3, is vertically bound with the main PCB 107 which is mounted at a rear end of the casing 105 and therefore protrudes more forward than the casing 105 along the induction pipe 106.
Further, the warpage prevention bracket 111 is a means for protecting the infrared sensor 109 which is bound on the main PCB 107 and as illustrated in FIG. 3, is vertically attached on the main PCB 107 to serve to enclose and protect a terminal 123 of the infrared sensor 109 which is vertically bound with the main PCB 107.
Consequently, the PCB housing 117 is a portion to fix the infrared sensor assembly 101 inside the garnish of the A-pillar 162 on the rear surface of the casing 105, while supporting the main PCB 107 and as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, has a predetermined thickness or more to receive the main PCB 107 and is detachably coupled with a rear boss 147 protruding in an inner side of the garnish by the fixed tip 130 protruding backward from an opposite side of the fixed tip 120 of the casing 105.
However, in the typical infrared sensor assembly 101 configured as described above, the infrared sensor 109 measuring the temperature in the vehicle and the warpage prevention bracket 111 supporting the infrared sensor 109 are vertically bound on the main PCB 107 as illustrated in FIG. 3, and therefore the overall size of the infrared sensor assembly 101 in addition to the casing 105 is large and thus the infrared sensor assembly 101 is very difficult to be mounted at a position at which the internal garnish like the A-pillar 162 is narrow.
In particular, when the casing 105 is inclinedly disposed to fit a photographing angle of the infrared sensor 109, the induction pipe 106 guiding the infrared sensor 109 inevitably protrudes outside the casing 105 and thus is exposed outside the A-filler 162, such that an aesthetic of the interior of the vehicle may be spoiled.
Further, to fit a dimension or a shape of the garnish which is changed depending on each vehicle model and fit the photographing angle or a height of the infrared sensor 109, mounting portions of the casing 105 and the PCB housing 117 are differently designed and therefore the design or the manufacturing efficiency of the infrared sensor assembly may be degraded.